Multi port adjustable shower fixture

ABSTRACT

A shower fixture being affixed to a wall at opposite ends of an existing shower enclosure. The fixture is connected at one end to a pressurized water source utilizing an existing shower head threaded plumbing connection. A pair of generally parallel or coaxial spaced tubes present pressurized water to both ends of the fixtures at approximately equivalent pressures. The horizontal fixture is attached to at least two showerheads disposed generally at opposite ends to provide an equalized flow of water from opposite directions in the shower enclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to shower fixtures. The invention more specifically provides a shower fixture which may be used to retrofit an existing shower utilizing plumbing which is in place. The invention allows the conversion of a single shower outlet to multiple shower outlets and interconnection with the existing shower fixture plumbing.

2. Description of the Related Art

A shower fixture is well known in a domestic setting. Shower fixtures in most homes are conventional and have a base adapted to be fixed to a wall connected to a pressurized water source, normally a domestic water supply provided by a domestic well or a municipal water supply. Normally, the metal tube has an internal connection through the base to an outlet so that pressurized water can flow from the supply through the base of the tube to a showerhead. Conventional showerheads are pivotable on the tube, usually about an outer horizontal axis at the end thereof and are connected internally at the outer axis to the one tube so that water from the one tube can flow into the head. The tube is rigid so as to support a showerhead and it can be swung in various directions at the discretion of the user depending on the preferences.

With a standard conventional domestic shower configuration, there is only one outlet or a remote handheld shower accessory can be attached whereby the showerhead is either replaced or augmented by a handheld shower device which sometimes has other accessories available, such as shower massages or spray fixtures which allow adjustment.

Modern luxury bathroom configurations include spa-type showers and have styles including multiple showerheads normally projecting from more than one wall of the shower enclosure. Typical configurations include showerheads positioned at various levels or heights, as well as showerheads which are projected into the showering area from opposite ends of the enclosure. This allows a more luxurious experience in that multiple points of water spray are provided to the user.

The disadvantage of the more sophisticated systems that are available to the average homeowner include need to install additional plumbing, a custom enclosure, or a prefabricated plumbing device which provides for the various outlets that must all be configured in the building process or in extensive remodeling. All of these solutions requires extensive resources and simply has a higher cost to the homeowner. There is a need to have a simple device that may be applied to a conventional showerhead fixture by an average homeowner without the need to install additional plumbing or to require installation of fixtures through substantial remodeling of an existing configuration of an typical domestic shower.

The present invention provides a means to retrofit a conventional showerhead fixture by utilizing the existing showerhead neck threading, applying a flexible plumbing connection means to introduce the pressurized water source into the invention which itself has two or more showerheads configured at near opposite ends of the fixture. The fixture is comprised of a lineal design similar to the shape and configuration of a conventional shower curtain rod extending horizontally from the front of the shower to the rear, and may be installed using simple screws and anchoring devices in the same fashion that one would install a shower curtain rod. Spring loading or other affixing solutions including ratchet means may be used to allow for temporary or semi-permanent installation of the fixture to an existing shower.

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved multiple showerhead fixture. It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved showerhead fixture which requires connection only to existing plumbing fixtures and showerhead-threaded extension pipes without the requirement to add additional plumbing nor requires extensive renovation to incorporate the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A shower fixture in accordance with the present invention is adopted to be fixed to a wall connected to a pressurized water supply utilizing connections to an existing showerhead-threaded pipe, and the associated plumbing therewith. A pair of generally parallel spaced tubes comprise a plumbing loop which can be installed on or between existing walls within an existing shower enclosure from the front to the rear end of the shower enclosure overhead, allowing two or more shower heads or other water accessories to be fed from a single existing showerhead outlet pipe. The use of a pair of generally parallel spaced tubes to feed two or more showerheads allows pressure equalization to be obtained. Use of such plumbing loop allows the rate of water flow for each showerhead in the present invention to be equal and does not require valving or adjustments to regulate the quantity of flow from each shower.

The invention may be mounted using conventional hardware similar to such hardware as used for shower curtain installation, and generally is connected to the existing shower outlet by removal of an existing showerhead device from the neck threads, and threading a flexible plumbing tube from the existing neck of the showerhead device to the inlet of the dual tube pressure loop which supplies two or more shower heads or other shower accessories.

In its simplest configuration the invention is a continuous plumbing loop comprised of two parallel pipes which are connected at both ends to allow pressurized fluid to flow from one end, where the fluid is introduced, to all points in the resulting plumbing loop to allow the pressure of the fluid to be largely equalized across the length of the plumbing. In the preferred embodiment, the plumbing loop is contained internally to a shroud or housing coaxially constructed around the plumbing to hide the plumbing components with a facade. Such enclosures may be adapted to provide for a more uniform and finished appearance when the device is hung across the length of a conventional shower stall or enclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of the invention without any covering decorative shroud displaying the major components in a typical configuration of the invention attached to a conventional shower in a shower enclosure.

FIG. 2 is a view of the invention unattached to any enclosures or feed water illustrating the connection of an optional fixture to the unused end connection point.

FIG. 3 is a ghosted view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating the decorative shroud which would enclose the invention to provide the symmetrical or decorative appearance.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the invention shown in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

And now the invention shall be described in terms of the preferred embodiment utilizing the various figures provided, wherein like-numbers in the figures refer to like-parts. Beginning at FIG. 1, fixture 10 is shown in its entirety without any decorative covering shrouds which might normally be applied to dress the fixture, as will be described later. In carrying out the objects of the invention, it is desirable that the length of fixture 10 be constructed such as to be the length of a standard shower enclosure much in the way that a conventional shower rod might be designed to be ready to be attached without the need to cut or adjust the length of the fixture. In a similar fashion as a shower curtain rod, fixture 10 attaches across the top of a typical shower enclosure such that it may be attached to the front and back walls using first fixture support flange 26 and the second support flange 28 as shown. The flanges support the opposing ends of the fixture so that the unit may be applied as one unit with a minimum of plumbing necessary to convert an existing shower.

Upper pipe 12 is parallel to lower pipe 14 as shown such as to provide equalized pressure across the fixture when pressure is applied to a first fixture water feed end 22 as shown. In applying water to the fixture, existing shower fixture pipe 16 is connected to flexible plumbing extension 20 through the threaded shower neck 18. In utilizing the invention, it could be appreciated that the showerhead that would normally be found in a conventional shower would be removed from the shower fixture pipe 16 such as to allow the threaded shower neck 18 to be available for connection to the plumbing extension 20. Extension 20 is a metallic or plastic flexible pipe frequently seen in bathrooms as might be used, for example, with a removable showerhead or other type of plumbing extension. One end of plumbing extension 20 is connected to the water source at shower fixture pipe 16, the other end continuing and being threaded into the first fixture water feed end 22 as suggested in FIG. 1.

Since fixture 10 is symmetrical in its design, it can be seen that the opposite end of the fixture has a similar second fixture water feed end 24 which essentially is equivalent to first fixture water feed end 22. There can be either an elbow connection or a straight line connection for both end 22 and end 24 as may be desired for a particular application. As shown in FIG. 1, water feed end 22 introduces water into fixture 10 and applies equal pressure across the upper pipe 12 and lower pipe 14 to eliminate or reduce pressure drop between the multiple outlets as shall be described. Water flows from the feed end 22 up first connecting pipe 34 as well as down lower pipe 14 to provide water pressure to both showerhead outlet 30 and showerhead outlet 32. By providing the loop or parallel pipe configuration shown in the various figures, the water pressure presented to the water fixtures or outlets opposite the feed end of the fixture is equalized as much as practical to provide for an even rate of water flow from each of the fixtures.

In FIG. 1 a typical configuration where there are identical showerheads 40 and 42 connected to lower pipe 14 is presented. Upper pipe 12 presents water pressure from first fixture water feed end 22, through first connecting pipe 34 and ultimately through second connecting pipe 36 to present water pressure to the second showerhead outlet 32 such as to equalize the flow rates of each fixture.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the invention further utilizing the second fixture water feed end 24 to attach a third water fixture, in this case shower wand 38. Since it is only necessary to feed the fixture from either end as can be appreciated by one skilled in the art of plumbing, the unused feed end may be attached to a convention fixture to provide for the extra outlet as presented in FIG. 2. While it is, of course, possible to present feed water to both first and second feed ends, this type of plumbing is normally not available in conventional residential shower areas and ultimately would not be necessary except when high water flow rates are desired and if such plumbing feed outlets are available at opposite ends of the shower stall. It is contemplated that normally the invention would be applied in such shower stalls and residential applications in which there is only a single shower outlet 16 as shown in FIG. 1.

Many times it would be desirable to have fixture 10 dressed in a more appropriate cover facade such as to hide the internal plumbing. FIG. 3 presents the invention showing a typical plastic or metal cover for the fixture such as to allow fixture shroud 44 to telescope into first shroud end 46 and second shroud end 48 as shown. Shroud 46 and 48 are attached to first shroud flange 50 and second shroud flange 52 which secures the entire shroud and the internal plumbing fixture. Shroud end 46 and 48 are clamped down onto fixed shroud 44 as shown, being secured by the tightening of shroud set screws 54. Set screws 54 can also be used to level shroud 44 in the event that there are minor differences in the height of the flange attached to first end 46 and second end 48 as shown. The internal plumbing in this configuration is slightly different as to accommodate the decorative shroud, while having essentially the same threaded outlets and supply pipe attachment points.

In the configuration suggested in FIG. 3 it can be appreciated that first fixture water feed end 22 and second fixture water feed end 24 exit downward to present the connection ends for flexible plumbing extension 20 and the possible attachment of a third optional fixture 38.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the finished configuration of fixture 10 shown in FIG. 3. The end view provided in FIG. 4 shows a typical flange connected to first shroud end 46 and second shroud end 48 allowing said sections to be placed at opposite ends of the shower stall to be converted with the present invention. Fixed shroud 44 is placed around the internal plumbing which comprise fixture 10 such as shown. The materials used to construct the shroud as shown may be of a variety of plastics or metal if desired. PVC pipe works well and is easily machined to provide holes or slots for the fittings and fixture extensions to protrude through the shroud to allow connection as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Any such shroud materials may be used to visually isolate the internal workings of the invention such as to present a more pleasing or finished end product.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 can be modified to allow for ratchet or spring loaded mounting mechanisms to compress the shrouding such as to provide force to be applied against the supporting walls to hold the fixture in a temporary mounting situation. Such mechanisms have been applied to shower curtain rods which are spring loaded and may be affixed in position without screws or nails, allowing them to be removed easily. The present invention may use the same installation methods, incorporating rubber ends to enhance friction in contact with the walls and ratchet and/or spring mechanisms to apply outward force to hold the fixture in position.

Although the invention has been described in accordance with the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the application of the present invention is useful in a variety of configurations and designs not specifically described above. All such designs and applications are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure, and the invention is applicable across a wide variety of applications. Such applications are considered within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 

1. A shower fixture comprising a pair of generally parallel tubes connected to comprise a continuous pressure loop; at least two shower heads mounted between the outer ends of the length of said tubes connected internally to at least one tube, whereby water from the one tube can flow into the said shower head; a base adopted to be fixed to opposite ends of said tubes to mount said fixture on the wall of a shower area; and means to connect said pressure loop to an existing threaded shower head outlet to apply pressurized water to said fixture.
 2. A shower fixture to provide a plurality of shower head outlets from one or more sources of water comprised of: a plumbing loop to supply feed water from one end of said loop to equalize pressure across the length of said loop; at least one water inlet feed point to attach to an existing water feed outlet; at least two plumbing outlets located along the length of said loop to provide for the attachment of one or more plumping fixtures; support means disposed generally at the opposite ends of said plumbing loop to support said loop and the plumbing fixtures attached to said loop.
 3. A shower fixture to provide a plurality of shower head outlets from one or more sources of water within a shower enclosure comprised of: means to convey water from an existing source into at least two separate outlets separated by a distance substantially the length of a shower stall for which the fixture is to be applied; means to equalize the water pressure presented at the said separate outlets; means to secure the fixture to at least one wall within said shower enclosure.
 4. The invention of claim 1 wherein further said parallel tubes are enclosed in a shroud to visually isolate the said tubes.
 5. The invention of claim 1 wherein further said base is comprised of an enclosure which visually isolates the said tubes.
 6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said parallel tubes are configured to be coaxial.
 7. The invention of claim 2 wherein said plumbing loop is comprised of at least two coaxial pipes. 